We’ve hailed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme as the culminating achievement of the IB, with its remarkable benefits for university preparedness and acceptance rates and well-rounded education. Meanwhile, the Career-related Programme offers a variety of benefits for students who want to gain career skills.
With that said, the DP and CP only occupy one component of the International Baccalaureate curriculum, and they work best when a student goes through the entire framework from formative years to preparatory schooling. In this regard, the MYP is the best choice for many students, not just for CP and DP programme aspirants but for any child who aims to leave their school with an internationally-minded outlook, an appreciation for learning, and a well-developed set of skills that the International Baccalaureate values.
*Source: RESEARCH SUMMARY Performance comparison between IB school students and non-IB school students on the International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) and on the Social and Emotional Wellbeing Questionnaire
1. MYP students are better writers and researchers
The MYP is unique in that, from an early age, its students are already performing deeper research into, and gaining a better appreciation of, the topics covered in the classroom.
Part of the MYP, for instance, the Personal Project, which involves independent research, exploration, and consultation with an adviser over the course of the school year. This is very similar to the extended essay in the DP, and MYP students who complete their Personal Project will certainly be well-prepared for that particular DP requirement.
2. MYP students understand how to transfer what they have learned
Every topic studied in the MYP features various Global Contexts, where subjects like Mathematics and Language and Literature are taught with themes that link them to the world outside the classroom. By developing their academic knowledge to have connections to real-world knowledge, students’ learning is not isolated to the confines of the school, and they eventually “develop an understanding of their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet.”
Overall, the MYP promotes a continuum of learning that definitely prepares its students for moving up to the DP or CP.
3. MYP students do better in IBDP and IBCP
The latter two years of the MYP are especially helpful for future DP or CP students, as the school works with students and their parents to help them select which programme is best for them. SISD’s counselors, for instance, would help MYP students choose their subjects in the DP, or suggest career options if they want to take the CP.
There are also the MYP eAssessments, the digitized final exams of the MYP, which greatly resemble the kind of examinations that DP and CP students would have to take, further preparing them for life in secondary school.
4. MYP students do better than non-IB students in higher order thinking skills such as analyzing and evaluating information
One of the most important is that MYP students are all taught in line with the IB Learner Profile. This means that MYP students are taught to be independent thinkers with a love of knowledge itself, and are taught to think critically, be capable of problem-solving, and reflective, among many other attributes.
5. MYP students do better on standardised assessment
MYP creates students who think more deeply and critically of everything they learn, even that which is taught in the classroom. They’re also more capable of uniting their academic knowledge with the real world. These aren’t just abstract claims – they’re clearly measurable in standardised tests!
The MYP itself is also internationally recognized, and allows students entry into secondary schools all over the world, whether or not they are IB World Schools.
With its interdisciplinary learning, CP and DP preparatory functions, and the inherent advantages of IB-oriented learning, the MYP are certainly a great curriculum for any child who wants to become a global citizen, ready to take on any challenge that the world throws at them!
